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A violent threat directed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer was amplified by Britain’s most prominent far-right agitator, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (alias ‘Tommy Robinson’), to his millions of online followers.
On Sunday, following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, X owner Elon Musk posted the phrase: “Another one bites the dust” on the social media platform.
In a direct reply to Musk’s post, former US Republican candidate and influencer Valentina Gomez wrote: “@Keir_Starmer is next.” Robinson subsequently reposted Gomez’s tweet to his 1.9 million followers.
By sharing a post that explicitly names the sitting UK Prime Minister as the “next” target in the context of the US-Israeli joint operation to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Robinson appeared to amplify incitement to violence.
On the same day, Robinson published another post demanding authorities “Arrest & deport @Keir_Starmer,” quoting a video of a refugee to justify his demands against the Prime Minister.
State Department Access and Russian Disinformation
This amplification of threats against the British state occurred during Robinson’s highly controversial tour of the United States. Under standard immigration rules, Robinson’s extensive criminal record would normally bar him from entry. Robinson has several criminal convictions including for assault and mortgage fraud. In 2024, he was jailed for 18 months after admitting contempt of court by repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.
Yet, not only was he permitted into the US, he was welcomed by the US State Department.
Robinson’s primary conduit into the highest levels of the US government appears to be Joe Rittenhouse, a MAGA propagandist acting within the administration as a senior advisor. Rittenhouse’s network is deeply controversial; he recently appeared to facilitate the return to the US of the founders of Tenet Media, a right-wing outlet exposed for receiving funding from Russian state media to disseminate Kremlin disinformation.
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